Sunny's Video

Welcome back friends. Today we are looking at the 1973 film Terror in the Wax Museum. As I mentioned in my review for Arnold (1973) this was made by the same people who made that film. They were actually shot back to back and share several cast members.

Following the murder of a wax museum owner (of course this museum features a variety of killers from the past), a police inspector tries to determine if the killer was someone who would benefit from the owner's demise or if Jack The Ripper has indeed come back. This would be director Georg Fenady's second and final horror movie before returning to a career in TV. I wish he did a few more. Good cast in this including John Carradine and Ray Milland (who genre fans may remember from X-The Man With The X-Ray Eyes). The returning cast from Arnold is definitely highlighted by both Elsa Lanchester, once again playing a delightful eccentric, and Steven Marlo, as the mute, loyal assistant Karkov (or Karkoff as the poster proclaims. I assume to try to make you think it says Karloff).

There are not enough horror movies centered around wax museums. I think they make a terrific setting so I'm always excited to find one set there. I thought this was paced well which I find to be a problem with many low budget 70's horror movies. Sometimes they are nothing but scenes of endless talking. While Arnold leaned heavy on the comedy, this one has almost none to be found so it's meant to be more of a serious horror film. I find Arnold to be the better movie, slightly, mostly because the plot is way more absurd while this one is more of straight up murder mystery.

I still think this is great and worthy of rediscovery (which you could do for as low as a singular $5 bill by popping over to our MOD section and placing an order). 3.5 barks out of 5. Terror in the Wax Museum is Sunny's Video Recommended.